Electron-lattice dynamics on Jahn-Teller surfaces in Ag : Xe crystals

Excitation of the s-p transition of Ag isolated in a Xe crystal leads to a dynamic Jahn-Teller splitting which, in addition to spin-orbit coupling, re moves the degeneracy of the excited p orbital. The dynamics on these Jahn-T eller surfaces and the vibrational relaxation leading to strongly Stokes sh ifted emission bands is studied with 170 fs time resolution. The wave packe t dynamics is followed by one-color resonant pump-probe spectroscopy and a recurrence at 1.3 ps after excitation into the upper two states of the trip let is observed. Two-color fluorescence depletion experiments are used to i nvestigate the dynamics during relaxation to the minima of the excited stat es. Excited state absorption competes with stimulated emission and an energ y of the Ag+ state in Xe is deduced to 5.73 eV. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(99)70529-5].